Winthrop students participate in service to help solve local needs, while developing their academic skills, sense of civic responsibility and commitment to the community. The university also brings prominent speakers to the campus as a way to educate students and the community about relevant issues. Service-related events for 2011-12 include:

Republican Presidential Primary and Media Coverage

Five of the eight Republican candidates, including eventual nominee Mitt Romney, visited campus as part of the 2012 presidential campaign. The university hosted a successful media event with Chuck Todd of NBC, Steve Brusk of CNN and Steve Brook of The State two days before South Carolina’s “first in the South” GOP primary. Political science professors participated in more than 100 interviews with state, national and international media during the run up to and in the days following the Jan. 21 primary.

Alternative Spring Break

More than 35 students and staff members traveled to one of three sites March 10-17 to perform community service during Alternative Spring Break. Participants helped with urban renewal and environmental cleanup with HandsOn New Orleans in Louisiana, performed construction work with the Pittsburgh Project in Pennsylvania and worked in a soup kitchen at St. Francis House in St. Augustine, Fla.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service

Many students volunteered to spend their Jan. 16 Martin Luther King Jr. holiday working with a team on local service projects. Some 200 students provided 832 hours on projects that emphasized King's legacy of empowerment and service. They distributed meals to seniors, assembled food packages for area school children, painted, cleaned and sorted bags of clothes, among other activities.